[GosfordGirl]

Hi Coaches

Had a good on-plan day. Still eating more during the day - a good thing too because today I have been STARVING. Kept telling myself I would survive but it feels very real. I wonder if that means my weight will be down tomorrow or if I will have and attack of the glutton tonight . Will need to put the food and the kitchen off limit tonight. I am about to go and cook dinner and am very keen on eating it.

I went to the aqua class today which was great; I also went with my little neighbours to the park when they walked my two dogs . I sat on a wet patch of grass while they ran about like banshees. A great time was had by all and I enjoyed the vicarious exercise. I am trying to maintain the exercises that the exercise physiologist has planned for me. I WILL improve. Credit to me for trying.

Have my lunch out tomorrow - I will plan to eat more calories tomorrow. I do resent paying a lot for food and not eating it all - especially when someone else is paying! Free food! So I will need to get on the website and plan

Anne (Wndranne) - waving - hope all is well

BeverlyJoy - Yay for missing the deer! Besides being a very good thing for the deer it could have messed up your day something awful. Credit for such good planning for the day. Hope your computer gets sorted out soon

BillBlueEyes - Good to hear your basement is sorted out - and by a particularly bendy you

CeeJay - Thanks for the reminder that it is a day at a time - and I can already see improvements that I have to keep giving myself credit for to maintain not only the motivation but the actual activity. It is easy to just wander off and get involved in work which is usually not so good for the body

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Hope you maintained your good day and plan. That is a useful suggestion - if just so hungry sit down and eat something sensible and then get back to it. Thanks for that. Sounds like things are hectic with your mum there and the support you are giving your friend - you are doing well to stay close to plan so big credit there

Gardenerjoy - Hopefully your lovely new garden bed is able to be planted soon. Great exercise result for May

new2me2 - Yay for new jeans that fit - and credit for 7# down

Shepherdess - Credit for warding off the deadly artichoke dip! Plus other tasty morsels. Good luck with decluttering the dining room table. I still can't bring myself to eat ALONE in the dining room - will always eat in front of the TV or it just feels weird. But I need to stop snacking there after dinner

Texasmama - hope the migraine wanes and you get some relief

ThisTime7 - Yay for being an official and signature owning Beckster! Poor dog - ouch! It is always a good excuse to walk when you have a dog

Credits -
- Read A&R cards - yes - sabotaging thoughts particularly
- Planned my day - yes
- Made food plan - yes
- Food on-plan - yes
- Posted to the list - yes
- Ate mindfully and seated every time - ate some lunch as I walked to table!
- Put down fork occasionally - - Yes
- Weighed myself - Yes - back down - 217.4lb !!
- Drank water - Yes
- Exercise - yes - aqua fit plus observation of dog walking (sure that counts for something)
- Resistance techniques - A lot so far today
- Consciously gave credit for positive eating / exercise behaviours - Yes

Working on -
Restaurant eating and sabotaging thoughts - Its paid for (free) and I should eat it!

Have a good day Beckies
-------
Cheryl

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - After a three day weekend, this working business seems intrusive in my life, LOL. Eating was OP, CREDIT moi, and gym was normal, CREDIT moi. Had a yummy pear for evening snack.

onebyone - Wonderful visual of your corner of privacy space under the vine on the arbor in the corner of wilderness you've created in a compulsive urban setting. The world needs more natural flora and less grass so that the native bugs can grow to feed the native birds and the whole natural cycle - you're saving the world!

Anne (wndranne) - Waving back. Yep, welcome June and summer.

CeeJay - Yay for an OP day. What's your reward going to be for the five pounds?

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Glad you recovered from a "strange day" - those do seem to arrive with regularity, LOL.

Shepherdess - Long live Moosewood - particularly old stained beat up copies of Moosewood. For some reason, I'm particularly fond of its description of making a pot of soup stock each afternoon from the day's leftover fresh veggies. Kudos for skipping the "deadly artichoke dip" - I rarely eat a sane potion of that kind of stuff if I start.

Beverlyjoy - Yay for "giggles and cuddles" to restore the heart after nearly getting wiped out by an early morning deer in the road. Kudos for "leave a bite - all the time" - wish I'd choose to do that.

Cheryl (Seadwaters) - Neat that you walked down the stairs. I admire your can-do attitude on your exercise physio even though it's difficult. [We seem destined to cross-post, <sigh>.]

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Yep, Kudos indeed for recognizing that "tired and stressed" are your triggers. And Kudos again for accepting that a nap is a legitimate activity in life. Sending supportive thoughts as you host your mother and tend to her needs.

Donna (new2me2) - Waving back as she leaves in her new jeans. Congrats on the 7 pounds.

Fully Fledged ThisTime7 - Kudos for having the ability to skip lunch, which must mean that you're not constantly thinking about food, LOL. I know what a sales rep is, but don't know the phrase, "casual sales rep?"

texasmama - Ouch - hope the head recovers promptly.

Readers -

day 30
Stay in Control When Eating Out

Dining-Out Strategies

The following strategies can help you to stay in control while eating out. As you read them, watch out for the sabotaging thoughts, such as, I couldn't do that. The dieters I've counseled and I routinely do these things - and we feel glad we do.

Tell the waiter how you'd like your food prepared. Don't hesitate to ask for substitutions or other special arrangements. Many diners routinely make such requests, and waiters are accustomed to accommodating them. The worst thing that could happen is that they can't do what you've requested, but in my experience that doesn't occur very often. Watch out for sabotaging thoughts such as, I'm creating too much trouble for them. Read "What Are You Thinking?" on page 218 to prepare for these thoughts ahead of time.


The Beck Diet Solution, pg 215.

[onebyone]

Hi Coaches

Credit moi for stepping on the scale to see at 5lb gain. I'm retaining the fluids once more. I think I am going to get TOM soon. Most likely day? Saturday when I am at the art in the park with no relief person and no one to help me set my booth up. That, dear Becksters, is the way things unfold with me and TOM. Let's hope I am wrong.

Another culprit for the +5lb is the fried finger food platter DH and I shared last night. We had a late dinner, meeting at 7pm and eating out, literally and figuratively in this case, on a patio. He was excited about a afternoon conference call with the owner of the company he works for and figured there'd be 5 people in on the call but there was only one other person. And he was specifically tasked to do a few things. Which he had already completed. Not bad for 4 months on the job.

DH and I also talked about wedding dates. Originally I had wanted to go to city hall on the summer solstice: June 21. That's this month, and also the day before our Dr. appt.'s too, which seems wrong to me to go to the Dr. right after getting married. The other strong possibility is Halloween as we will celebrate the 20th anniversary this Halloween of our first date and we mark our time together from there forward as by my birthday, Nov 4th, we were already solidly committed. Yes, we were one of those sickeningly in love head over heels couples who couldn't keep their eyes and hands off of each other and wished everyone could feel as intensely as we did. Over 20 years it sure waxes and wanes but the committment remains. The tricky part is: will we be asked to move away for DH's job before Halloween? I think we should be hitched before we enter a foreign land. I think. Anyway I was laughing saying he needs to call me his fiance even though we're not even engaged, just getting married. And, btw, where's my rock?

It's crazy 20 years have almost passed. That is crazy to me.

And I made a surprising personal connection with the ceramic teacher who freaks me out. Turns out she can completely relate to me with my mom with alzheimer's and my struggle with it as her daughter as she had the same experience with her mom but I think it was way worse as her mother was aggressive (mine is super passive) and her mom was also bi-polar. She told me they had to have her committed to have her driver's license taken away as she could fool the Dr.'s so well they didn't realize how bad she was-but the family did. Wow. She gave me 2 hugs and now signs her emails with an XO in them. I am relieved to be able to let my guard down.

So these are the big deals and they are indeed big deals. I need to stay right with myself and my food. Being off track makes everything so much more harder than it needs to be as I really beat myself up over it, then spend energy telling msyelf it's okay so I don't beat myself up, and very soon after that I stall out. I stop doing everything.

If my food is not right everything seems to be wrong.


Today's end of day checklist

1. no seconds DONE
2. no standing while eating DONE
3. no sugar except coffee packets nope
4. no more than 2 coffee packets DONE
5. looked through my prints and started preparing for the show DONE
6. cook from scratch today DONE
7. make promo material for my show(s) DONE
8. eat green thing nope
9. eat breakfast DONE
10. exercise 20 min today nope
    70% OP = 7/10
    note: while I did eat only at mealtimes, my meals were huge. I'm not really focused on portion sizes yet. But I think I am getting tired of feeling so darn full.
    

[Lexxiss]

Hello Beck friends

No time for personals this AM, but I hope to drop by later. My evening went as planned and I arose early and began tackling the day. My intent was to get caught up on paperwork (which I did) *credit* and begin getting the house spiffed up (which I didn't). Food is planned *credit* and I need to get going to make a 7am land aerobics before walking the dogs *credit* for exercise. I didn't get that nap yesterday, so I've reserved a space for today if I feel like it.

See ya'll later!

[texasmama]

Good Morning. Migraine is still hanging on, but it's not as bad as it was last night. I had participated on 3FC off/on... mainly attempting to lose weight by following Weight Watchers (which I still think is a great program). But I could never stick to it... It was a miracle if I could stay on program for an entire day. I quit and rejoined WW over 20 times. Wow. That's embarassing to say. After YEARS of beating myself up, I decided that it wasn't the program that was hard.... I have a problem with binge eating. That's when I started looking for a program geared towards behaviors. I came across the Beck books in my local bookstore, and then came here to see if there was a a forum about them... and there was. So, I am on Day 3. I am not seeing a counselor, but it is something I'm considering. So..... that's my brief history.

[gardenerjoy]

Volunteering this morning with a well-planned lunch out, Farmer's Market this afternoon -- I hope someone's still got cooking greens after the heat we've been experiencing.

WI: +0.75kg, Exercise: +90 90/1600 minutes for June, Food: 80%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

ThisTime7: Being able to do more in my garden is one of my primary reasons for losing weight. I've also been happy with how much exercise has helped. I worked on strengthening my glutes and thighs and now I consciously use squatting and lunging movements instead of bending over.
Good job getting back on track after the weekend!

Shepherdess: great job skipping the pre-dinner snacks and waiting for the meal -- that's been a key behavior for me to learn and to find the willingness to implement.

Lexxiss: lots of credits of all sorts to cheer for -- I especially like closing the office for a needed break!

texasmama: hope you're feeling better soon! Sending soothing energies your way.

CeeJay: yay for "a very nice OP day today"

seadwaters: good job working through your hunger issues

BillBlueEyes: kudos for being OP with food and exercise even with work intruding into your life

onebyone: love your list of 10. You are dealing with a lot, kudos for recognizing that healthy eating has a useful place in all of that.

texasmama: glad that you found Beck -- the behavior approach has been amazingly helpful to me. I also found it useful to read David Kessler's book, The End of Overeating, from the library. It explains the way the food industry engineers our food so that it's close to irresistable. It got me to quit junk food, cold turkey, which reduced my bingeing behavior considerably.

[Shepherdess]

I had hoped to get a run in early this AM since we have a workshop all day today, but it was raining last night and the roads were muddy when I got up so I went back to bed. I’ll try again this PM. I did do my weights yesterday. I never look forward to that, but did it anyways. Eating was OP despite the chips and salsa I was staring at a Mexican restaurant. I tried to think of any possible way I could justify diving in, but any way I looked at it, it was just extra calories I don’t need. Believe me, if I there was a way I could have out thought those calories I would have. I should just take credit for resisting, but I’m a little annoyed that it took so much brain power.

I’m off to the workshop, but will catch up with everyone later.

[nathy]

Hi Everyone,

only short food report about yesterday (had bad conection)

Weight in
Read ARC 1 x (forgot my diary in the car and was lazy to go there, so I read it by heart:-D )
Read Becks book
Eat sitting
Eat slowly (90%) and mindfully(90%)
Eating on plan (90% - plan to have some strawberies for snack, but was hard raining whole day-impossible to pick them.So I had an ice cream(small "czech"Magnum which was planned after dinner - childrens´day, credit for finding that wasn´t as good as I expected, apart from white belgian chocolate)
Giving a credit
Contact you, my dear Buddies
Exercise - 24 min. treadmill , 10 min.legs exercise
Drunk water
After dinner brushed my teeth
At 20.00 I said "goodnight" to my kitchen and closed it (mentaly).

I had a hard time in the grocery. Because of the Childrens´day all my triggers was reduced 50% -OMG new caramel Milka-special edition, I love sweetened condesed milk (remembering of my childhood:-D), chips. I came out of shop like a beaten dog....but WINNER (for the 1 st time I was able no to buy this) Of course, I am in process of streightening my resistance muscles but to tell the true I was regreting myself (feel sorry for myself??), lol. Only one thing stopped me in the shop- in which way I will report about my failure here. At the moment I can´t do it for myself- it doesn´t function. Maybe in time...So thanks a lot for your help...

[Beverlyjoy]

HI Beck coaches, friends and buddies...

I found out where the font 'zoom' is - so I won't get that teeny tiny print on the computer and not know what to do.

Things are going well for me so far. I've kept my choices to coincide with my exchanges. I am grateful for that. Yesterday dinner didn't happen until 7:30 pm. I had my snack around 2:30 in the afternoon. This is where the 'hunger exercise' came in handy. I could wait to eat without being 'in a panic' about it.

My grandson is three years old and alot of fun. He is feeling much better and just went to take a walk in the neighborhood with Mom. (darn ankle/foot....I can't go) I've got a few minutes to check in.

I was able to eat just a small portion of dinner yesterday - so it worked out well.

With all this playing I've done alot of bending, lifting, twisting and pulling. My back hurts like crazy - but, I brought some anti-inflamitory medicine. That should get me through it. I need to be much more careful about this for the rest of my visit.

arc/rc - yes
eat seated only, no seconds, leave a bite, - all the time
log food/ keep exchanges - all the time
measure and plan - not so much
write in my journal - yes
feel fullness - once in while
taste the food - sometimes
exercise - yes - stretches and strengthening- going up and down the stairs

No beck book

Hoping everyone has a great day.

[new2me2]

Hello Coaches from the middle of the ocean somewhere! I think we may be somewhere along the Oregon coastline somewhere although cannot see land. It's rainy and cloudy, but it's still wonderful!

My day yesterday went well, I believe I did not overeat. Portion sized were small and the only problem might have been eating a small buffet lunch when I wasn't that hungry. I had a small amount of roast, a spoonful of potato salad, a couple of lettuce pieces with a little drizzle of dressing and less than a cup of canteloupe and honeydew pieces, but the fact that I wasn't very hungry should have made me have water, lol.

For dinner, we ate in the dining room and I ordered a very small entre, just two small medallions of beef and a baked potato. The medallions were small (which was PERFECT because it was later than I normally eat) and the potato was very small. Yay!

Tonight is formal night, so I think it will be buffet for us since we aren't formal people, lol. I HAVE practiced hunger today though, so I'm confident I'll be okay at the buffet.

No formal exercise, but LOTS of walking and always taking the stairs except for one elevater ride up 5 decks.

Yesterday's Beck chapter was about drinking...I must confess I skipped that as I don't drink, lol. Today's chapter was about travel, so I have read that and my cards.

[Lexxiss]

It has been a very good day. Food OP, and I even left some dinner. *credit* myself for using resistance with thoughts of unplanned eating.Its an early night so I can get up bright and early and tackle paperwork.

BillBlueEyes,*credit* for such stellar and planned food and exercise. Yep, my Moosewood is very seasoned-from cover to cover.

Texasmama, thanks for sharing your history. I hope you are feeling better today.

CeeJay, *credit* for a very nice OP day, and for being very close to your new minigoal!

Cheryl (seadwaters) *credit* for maintaining your suggested exercises and for your conviction that you WILL improve.

onebyone, I agree, when food is off track, other things are much harder. *credit* for insight. Congrats! on your upcoming wedding. It will be fun hearing about your plans.

Gardenerjoy, I have consciously made much more thoughtful choices after reading "The End of Overeating". I feel like what the author has shown is why we are a country filled with food addicts. Since I quit the sugar and fast food dieting has become much easier.

Shepherdess, *credit* for chip and salsa avoidance. I wonder if some things ever get much easier.

nathy, *credit* for success at the grocery even though you felt beaten down afterwards....and for closing the kitchen again.

Beverlyjoy, what a great concept to have to "wait" to eat and not be in a panic about it. *credit* for many steps you are taking to stay OP while away from home. Take care with your back and enjoy your family.

Donna (new2me2), glad you're checking in! *credit* for vigilance while traveling. I'm only speaking for myself, but I would give myself *credit* for a sensible lunch when not that hungry. I don't skip, but eat light.

[Nuxmaga]

Hi All,
A quick check in--8600+ steps, credit. Tracked food, and under calorie goal, credit. Left some injera bread on my plate at the fabulous Ethiopian restaurant, credit. The lentil stew was incredible, and I left none of it. Went for Chinese and fresh spinach with garlic, credit. I have my first Farmers Market show on Saturday--feeling nervous. I didn't think about the implications of being outside in the heat--I hope I don't melt. . .and I need to plan to stay away from all the baked goods.

Have a good night!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Spent the time when I'd usually take my after-work walk waiting for a contractor scheduled to do an estimate on installing a chimney cap. He never showed up. Oh Well. The small silver lining was that I didn't eat my afternoon snack since I didn't walk, and by some convoluted logic my brain thought that made sense; CREDIT moi.

onebyone - It's neat the way you make your list public in the morning and complete it in the evening; Kudos for letting it all hang out. My vote is for Summer Solstice for your wedding - you'll then have reason for two anniversary celebrations each year. And the weather is more likely to be pleasant. And you avoid the temptation to get married in costumes, LOL.

Anne (wndranne) - Waving. Need help. On the news is the story of the guy who found a - 4.5 billion year old meteorite by the road in Oregon. What did planet Earth look like 4.5 billion years ago? Did we start out looking like Saturn?

Margaret (Nuxmaga) - Just drooling over that lentil stew at the Ethiopian restaurant. Kudos for leaving some injera bread - I find that stuff addictive and want to finish off every morsel that's collected juices from the meal.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for farmers' markets. Maybe you're the person to write the book, Exercising While Gardening, LOL.

Shepherdess - Ouch for muddy roads. I'm off to our favorite Mexican Restaurant for Friday dinner with friends - I'll keep your success in mind since I'm already wrestling with how I'm gonna deal with their chips and salsa while we wait for our food to arrive.

Beverlyjoy - Yep, 2:30 to 7:30 is a long stretch without a snack. You might have to adjust your snack time to fit your DIL's dinner schedule. Ouch for the back flareup - hope you can hold it all together so you can continue to play with that 3 year old GS.

Cheryl (Seadwaters) - Ouch for "STARVING" - Yep, gotta believe that's your body complaining about all the effort it's going through to burn fat instead of some simple sugars floating around in your blood. Thank you, thank you for your wonderfully convoluted Sabotaging Thought about not wishing to waste FREE food at a restaurant that someone else is paying for. Please beat that one and then post about it so I can have a new role model since I can wrestle that thought for the entire course of a meal, LOL.

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Big Kudos for leaving some dinner - he says with jealously.

nathy - Kudos for exercising your resistance muscle at the grocery store. Yep, feeling sorry for yourself happens, but that's where Oh, Well can be used.

Donna (new2me2) - Big Kudos for eating sanely while on a cruise. I'm interested in your report since the food thing is a major barrier to my considering a cruise - and those Alaska shore line cruises are pretty appealing to me. Especially if you can go ashore periodically.

texasmama - Neat that you figured out that you wanted a behavior program and then went and found Beck. That would seem to give you a boost in accepting her CBT strategies. Kudos for ceasing to beat yourself up - wish we were all successful at that in all places in our lives.

Readers -

day 30
Stay in Control When Eating Out

Dining-Out Strategies

Go with a friend. Choose someone whom you know won't try to push food on you. Perhaps you should go with your diet coach.

The Beck Diet Solution, pg 214.

[GosfordGirl]

Dear Coaches

I am sitting here listening to the teaming rain and feeling all snug and happy indoors - I am a bit of a puddle duck and do like rain. I will no doubt grumble on my way to the pool tomorrow. The glutton did not strike last night and could have done so today. Lunch today was delicious but a BIT off plan - different winter menu started and I have to say I left nothing on my plate. A shame that my weight has gone down for 2 days - will no doubt bounce up again tomorrow - sigh. But I will get right back on plan and eat sensibly for the rest of the day

BeverlyJoy - Glad you have sorted out your computer. Hope the back settles but your food definitely seems to be under your control

BillBlueEyes - Ouch for back at work after a long weekend. Cross posting - hmmm. Before I complete my post at night and cut and paste into 3FC I always refresh the screen to see if you or any other early birds have posted again so I can respond - but still get behind (or caught in the wrong month!). And a good thing I just refreshed the screen because there was your post! And as you will see I have yet to beat the convoluted Free Food convoluted Sabotaging Thought. Did pretty well but didn't beat it into submission

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Credit for an on-plan day and your great resistance

Donna (new2me2) - You sound so organised with your food on your cruise - and your attitude means it will probably stay that way. Enjoy your sightseeing

Gardenerjoy - I like your description of the ergonomics and the exercise opportunities in gardening - you take every opportunity which is inspiring

Nathy - Sweetened condensed milk! Childhood comfort food with memories of camping - great credit to avoid it. Having to report ones's off plan eating does have a positive effect

Nuxmaga - Things seem to be going well so credit to you. Lentil stew sound yummy for this vegetarian at heart. Injera bread? Sounds good. Good luck with organising for the Farmer's Market - and the heat - especially if you are out in it and can't get away. I am so enjoying the cool here and the rain after a hot summer.

Shepherdess - Defeating chips and salsa is pretty spectacular. I would love to get to a place where food was almost irrelevant - a means of nourishing the body when necessary - as opposed to the obsession it seems to be becoming as I get more into dieting. As Beck says - it does get harder. I would have hoped that maintaining was easier but of course not!

Texasmama - again hope that headache goes away. Lots of support and sensible, experienced people here. Hope Day 3 goes well

Credits -
- Read A&R cards - yes - before lunch
- Planned my day - yes
- Made food plan - yes
- Food on-plan - almost
- Posted to the list - yes
- Ate mindfully and seated every time - so far
- Put down fork occasionally - - Yes - made an attempt at the restaurant so I didn't continually shovel food into my mouth
- Weighed myself - Yes - back down AGAIN - 217lb !!
- Drank water - Yes
- Exercise - No
- Resistance techniques - A lot so far today
- Consciously gave credit for positive eating / exercise behaviours - Yes

Working on -
Getting back on track straight away and not thinking I have blown it - because I haven't!

Have a good day Beckies
-------
Cheryl

[Lexxiss]

Hello Beck friends

Food is OP, feeling good today. I have really felt the good influence of Beck principles in relationship with my chosen WOE. *credit* for persistence. A busy day is planned and I still need to think out an evening event. I'm going on a 4 hr road trip with friends which doesn't have a plan for dinner yet. I'll call after exercise for details.

I'll stop later for personals. Have a great day everyone!